The Legend of Mir 3

The Legend of Mir 3 is a 2D, fantasy MMORPG that is the direct sequel of the Asian hit Mir 2. With upgraded graphics, larger maps, and much more content to explore, Mir 3 offers a compelling reason for fans of the series to switch over. The isometric camera angle and PvP-oriented gameplay give Mir 3 an action-RPG feel.

The Legend of Mir 3 Overview

The Legend of Mir 3 is an updated version of the original Mir 2. The graphics have been upgraded from 8-bit to 16-bit, which gives the game world a slightly more realistic appearance. Neither game is very new, and neither are likely to attract players based on visuals. What sets the Mir series apart from many other MMORPGs is the emphasis on hardcore PvP. Hundreds of online games have come and gone, but The Legend of Mir has proven its lasting power, especially in Asia where millions of gamers continue to enjoy the game. The series was never as popular in the West but old school action-RPG fans may find nostalgic value in the isometric camera angle and simple click-to-attack/move interface. There are four classes available:

Warrior - The melee fighters of the Mir universe. Warriors have high HP and Defense, allowing them to absorb blows. They suffer from a low mana cap and low magic resistance.

Wizard - Powerful offensive spell-casters who are masters of the elements. Wizard possess AoE spells and have high mana points and magic defense. Wizards are vulnerable to melee attacks and must keep their distance from foes.

Taoist - Supportive spell-casters who can heal and buff themselves and their allies. Taoists can summon pets, ressurect the dead, and use powerful talismans to cast poison spells. This is considered the hardest class to play.

Assassin - The newest class addition to Mir 3. Assassins are swift melee fighters who rely on speed and cunning over brute force.

The Legend of Mir 3 Screenshots

The Legend of Mir 3 Video

Full Review

The Legend of Mir 3 Review

B, Erhan Altay

Originally available in North America and Europe as a pay-to-play MMORPG, WeMade Entertainment (developer of The Legend of Mir 3), has finally released the game under the free-to-play model. Mir 3 is the successor to the Asian smash-hit “The Legend of Mir 2″, which is also available in the West as a F2P title under the title “Mir 2: The Legend Continues”. While the two games are very similar, Mir 3 offers slightly improved graphics, larger maps to explore, and is more likely to see continued updates since development of the originally has since ceased.

Old-School Hit

The Legend of Mir series has enjoyed incredible success in Asia and even today has millions of registered users in China, South Korea and other South East Asian countries. The game did have a presence in the West nearly a decade ago; I still remember playing the limited free trial for Mir 3 when I was in middle school. I’m not sure what happened to the subscription-based service, but fortunately the game is back and being published directly by the Korean developer. For fans of action-RPGs like the original Diablo, Mir 3 offers a very familiar experience. The game offers an isometric camera angle and click-to-move interface, which were popular during that era. The graphics in Mir 3 are rendered in 16-bit, which is an improvement over Mir 2′s 8-bit visuals, but it still isn’t very impressive.

Round Two

Account creation is easy enough, but actually playing the game may not be so simple. Mir 3 uses nProtect GameGuard, which caused a series of problems on my Vista x64-bit OS running AVG Free 8.5 Antivirus. Even after disabling AVG and trying to run the game in compatibility mode, I could only get the game to launch once out of every ten tries. Eventually, I gave up and installed Mir 3 on an older machine I had lying around in order to review it. Additionally, the game’s native resolution is 800×600, with no way to increase it. These days, wide-screen monitors are becoming more commonplace, and the fact that the game looks awkward on many larger monitors is unfortunate. The available classes are the same as in Mir 2; this includes the Warrior, Wizard, Taoist and Assassin. The Assassin class was first introduced in 2008, which means the game is still being actively developed. The role each class plays should be self-evident, with only the Assassin serving as a hybrid. The Taoist is widely considered the most difficult class to play, as it relies on other players to inflict damage while the Taoist itself concentrates on healing and buffing. Players can choose the gender of their character, but no other appearance customization options are available.

Critter Cleanup

Warriors and Assassins start the game in ‘BichonTown’, while Wizards start in Banya Village and Taoists in Lost Paradise. NPCs in each area teach players the basics through a series of tutorial quests. After talking to a few NPCs in this way, players are rewarded a full set of newbie gear (including armor and a weapon). NPCs which have quests to offer are clearly marked with ‘?’ and ‘!’ symbols over their heads, with similar icons on the minimap located on the top-right. The quests on offer in Mir 3 are similar to those found in most MMORPGs; including kill quests, item retrieval and so on. It’s best to accept all the quests available before going out to complete them, as there may be some overlap. For example, one of the first quests asks players to slay fifteen chickens, while another asks them to retrieve three chicken legs. The next few quests all involve killing animals such as pigs, cows and deer. These quests reward players with bracelets, necklaces, and rings, which increase max HP or other attributes such as AC (physical armor) or max mana. Eventually players will be asked to venture further and further outside town to hunt down scarecrows, clawcats, and more powerful monsters. Mir 3 has a simple night/day feature in place, which I found to be more annoying than enriching. At nighttime it becomes difficult to see anything around you. Equipping a torch or candle illuminates the area surrounding your character, which helps a bit.

Slow and Steady

Legend of Mir 3 is an older MMORPG, and like other games of its time (such asUltima Online in the west and Lineage in the East), it is a PvP-oriented game. The open PvP environment means players can be attacked at any time. As players level up and earn gold, they will be able to purchase mu-gong books (basically skill books). Each class has numerous unique mu-gong skill trees that serve as specializations. It’s best for a character to stick to one or two skill tree in order to eventually unlock the most powerful skills associated with it. Low level mu-gong manuals can be purchased from the bookstore in town, but higher level ones can only be obtained from powerful monsters. Mir 3 is a heavily grind-oriented game, but simple kill quests help out a little. End-game content is centered around PvP; Guild vs Guild sieges for control over certain zones are a large part of it. Players looking for this sort of gameplay who don’t mind the game’s dated graphics should give Mir 3 a try. For the rest of us who haven’t played the game during its peak, Mir 3 just doesn’t manage to attract. Nostalgia can have a powerful influence over us (it’s the main reason why I still go back to games like EverQuest from time to time), but even with my favorite classics, I wouldn’t recommend either EQ or Mir 3 to a new MMORPG player. There are just too many more polished alternatives available.

Final Verdict: Fair

The Legend of Mir 3 is an older classic which has found new life in the West as a free-to-play title hosted by the original developer. Fans of the series or those who miss the old school action-RPG gameplay style may want to give Mir 3 a try. For the rest of us, this one’s a pass.